Madison City Council debates bicycle coordinator role

What's the difference between a bicycle-pedestrian coordinator and a bicycle & pedestrian program manager?

That's the question aldermen in Madison are trying to answer in a debate over a city budget proposal that eliminates the coordinator job held by Arthur Ross since 1987. Ross would be supplanted by whoever the city hires for the new job, program manager, according to the report from the Wisconsin State Journal.

The story quotes the mayor's spokeswoman, Rachel Strauch-Nelson: "The intent is to expand our bicycle program in city government. The hope is to significantly increase the work that the city does to improve bike infrastructure and to communicate with the public about it."

Ross responded: "I would've expected the mayor would add a position if he's serious about improving bicycling in Madison."

In Milwaukee, Dave Schlabowske has served as the city's bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for five years.

Here's how he describe his role in an interview with OnMilwaukee.com: "I divide my time between bicycle facility planning (where bike lanes go, designing bike trails, updating the City Bicycle Master Plan, supplying and locating bike parking racks).

" I also work on pedestrian safety issues, such as pedestrian safety week, the StreetShare program (www.streetshare.org), safe routes to school projects, general school drop off safety reviews, respond to complaints about motorists who fail to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk, and more. I work on streetscaping designs for business districts. I also manage the city traffic calming program."

That's disappointing to hear about Art Ross. It sounds like another one of Mayor Dave's power plays. If he disagrees with you, he will replace you. Increasingly, it seems he wants to be surrounded by only yes-men.

Actually PeterRock, these are important positions. I walk just over a mile to work everyday, and use the city's bike paths on a regular basis. When communities make biking and walking safe and accessible, we take polluting cars off the road and improve the health of the society - which in the long run can decrease healthcare expenses.